Dispensing package for absorbent cotton or the like



Sept. 11, 1934. .w U T 1,973,615

DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR ABSORBENT COTTON OR THE LIKE Filed July 17. 1951 INVENTOR Warner E113 It .s'

LLJJ A TTORNE Y Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR ABSORBENT COTTON OR THE LIKE of Massachusetts Application July 17, 1931, Serial No. 551,315

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved type of package or container for holding absorbent cotton or similar material of a fibrous nature.

Heretoiore it has been the general custom to 5 supply absorbent cotton in the form of a package or box in which the cotton is contained in roll form. Packages of this type are cumbersome and inconvenient for use and likewise, are unsanitary, inasmuch as the entire roll is necessarily exposed each time the box is opened to remove a portion of the cotton from the roll.

The object of my invention is to provide a dispensing package or container in which the cotton is arranged in continuous coiled strip form and from which portions of the strip in desired amounts may be removed as it is needed for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing package which is of simple construction and the material of which is of low cost, so that the container may be discarded after the supply of cotton therein is depleted.

Briefly, the invention consists in providing a box-shaped container into which the cotton in rope or strip form is packed, one wall of the container being provided with an outlet or delivery opening through which one end of the coil is threaded to provide an exposed tuft which may be grasped to pull a portion of the strip through the opening.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the dispensing package, the top cover of the container being removed;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the package, with the top cover positioned there- 40- on; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apertured end wall through which the strip of cotton is drawn from the container.

In the embodiment shown the package com- 45- prises: A container body, indicated generally by the numeral 1; an end wall 2, disposed within and spaced from the top end of the container body, and provided centrally with an outlet or delivery opening 3; a removable top cover 6, disposed on 50 the upper end of the container body; and a flange cap 7 affording a closure for the lower end of the container.

The container body, which in the embodiment shown is cylindrical in shape, may be made from a suitable length of cylindrical paper board tubing. The end wall 2 may be made of stiff cardboard and is preferably formed with an annular flange 4 facing toward one end of the container body. The adjacent end edge of the container body is turned inwardly and rolled upon the free edge of flange 4 to secure the end wall 2 in place. This construction is particularly convenient in that it provides a beaded edge for the upper end of the container body and also holds end wall 2 against displacement under the pulling action incident to the withdrawal of the strip from the container.

The interior of the container is filled with a quantity of cotton 8 which is in continuous strip form, this being the condition of the cotton as it comes from the cards in the cotton mill. This strip is preferably deposited in the container in the form of a spiral coil with the several turns located in planes transverse to the body of the container and with one free end of the strip located at the top of the mass. After the strip is packed in coil form in the container, flange cap 7 may be permanently secured in position on the lower end of the container body, or, if desired, this cap may be so constructed as to provide a close friction fit so that it may be removed to permit refilling in case it may be desired to preserve the package. One end of the strip is threaded through opening 3 to provide an exposed tuft 9 which may be grasped with the flngers or by tweezers to remove the desired amount of cotton. The space between end wall 2 and the end of the container body aflords a compartment for receiving the exposed tuft. When the package is not in use this end of the container is closed by top cover 6.

The delivery opening 3 should be of a size adapted to permit passage of the strip therethrough while at the same time affording sufiicient restriction against withdrawal of the strip, so that the desired amount of cotton may be removed by pulling on tuft 9. To this end, opening 3 is made slightly less in diameter than the normal diameter of the strip. As the strip is drawn through the opening it is compressed 10o slightly on all sides, and by reason of this fact, has slightly greater strength at this point, so that the breaking point occurs above the opening and not in the opening. On the other hand the opening must not be so small as to cause the cotton to bunch below the wall and break so as to leave no exposed tuft.

The package is inexpensive in construction and may be made entirely of cardboard. It is adapted. to take the cotton in the rope or strip form 11,9

just as it comes from the cards in the cotton mill, thereby eliminating the re-rolling operation such as is now required in the preparation of the customary rolled form of package. The package is particularly convenient in use, it merely being necessary to remove top cover 6, whereupon the tuft 9 is presented for grasping so that portions or wads of different sizes may be removed in small or large amounts according to whether the pull given is abrupt or gentle. The body of the unused cotton is not exposed other than at the point of tuft 9, and thus is protected against contamination when the package is not in use by closing the upper end, of the container with top cover 6.

By packing the strip in the container in the form of a coil, with the turns of the coil disposed in a plane transverse to the body of the container, there is very little opportunity for the mass to become bunched or snarled below the outlet opening. The withdrawal of the end portion of the s rip through the opening leaves the body of the coil undisturbed, with the uppermost convolution in position to feed through the opening without danger of obstruction by the balance of the mass.

While I have shown a package of cylindrical form, it will be apparent that the package may be of rectangular cross section or in fact, may be made of any configuration which may be best adapted to the particular use intended.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispensing package for cotton and the like comprising a container, and a quantity of felted material, as unencased cotton, arranged therein in a continuous coil, said container having a dispensing opening therein of smaller dimension than the normal cross-sectional dimension of said material, providing a restricting throat confining the material in its passage therethrough so that portions thereof may be picked 011 and additional material drawn through the opening by a pull onan externally projecting portion of said material.

2. A dispensing package for cotton and the like comprising a container, and a quantity of felted material, as unencased cotton, in rope-like form arranged therein in a continuous coil, said container having a dispensing opening therein of smaller dimension than the normal cross-sectional dimension of said material, providing a restricting throat confining the material in its passage therethrough so that portions thereof may be picked off and additional material drawn through the opening by a pull on an externally projecting portion of said material.

3. A dispensing package for cotton and the like, comprising a container and a quantity of felted material, as unencased cotton, arranged in strip form therein, said container having a dispensing opening therein of smaller dimension than the normal cross-sectional dimension of the said material, providing a restricting throat adapted to confine the material so that bits thereof may be picked off by a pull on an externally projecting portion, and additional material drawn through the opening to provide a continuously renewable tuft of said material accessibly protruding from said opening.

4. A dispensing package for cotton or the like, comprising a container, an unencased strip of fibrous material disposed within said container and adapted to protrude through an opening therein, said container being constructed to pro- 110 vide means for automatically restricting the material at a point inwardly from the protruding portion thereof as the same is being withdrawn, thereby compacting a portion of the strip and giving it greater strength than the protruding 115 portion, whereby parts of the latter may be broken on for use merely by an outward pull thereon.

WARNER EUSTIS. 

